So you may be wondering, "How did Jonathan get himself such a gorgeous, intelligent, and loving fiance?" Well, here's our story (from the groom-to-be's perspective):
How we met
Luck struck me. As a first year Emergency Medicine resident at the University of North Carolina Hospital system, I was required to rotate on the hospital's inpatient cardiology team for one month. It's a grueling month with hard work and long hours, but fortunately for me, Gail happened to be a nurse in the coronary care unit, an "ICU" for all things "heart-related." Ironic that this is where I find my one true love. There she was: beautiful, hard working, and way out of my league. I hoped that wearing a nice shirt and tie, cracking a few jokes, and of course, not being the idiot doctor that all nurses hate, would get her to notice me, but our initial interactions consisted entirely of professional discussions involving our shared patients. It wasn't until my month was nearly over that we began to get to know each other on a more social and personal level, and it appeared our platonic friendship at work was where it would stay.
Then, luck struck me a second time as I stopped by the local Harris Teeter grocery store to pickup the bag of cookies I had been craving along with random groceries. Little did I know that for once in my life, my addiction to chocolate-chip cookies would lead me somewhere other than my couch where I often devour an entire column of Chips-ahoy cookies in one sitting. Gail had just pulled into the same Harris Teeter parking lot! We began chatting, and now that we were outside the hospital setting, I found it easier to muster the courage to ask her out. A few minutes later, we planned to have our first date!
Our Engagement
Since our first date at Firebird's Wood Fired Grill over 3 years ago, our relationship went extraordinarily well. It became obvious that we were perfect together, and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. In addition to the chemistry needed in any relationship, we found we made great partners for any obstacles life threw our way. We found we shared the same "family-first" mentality, the same compassion for our patients, the same love for dogs and all creatures on this earth, the same sense of humor, and many of the same hobbies and interests.
Of those similar interests, traveling was one of our favorite things to do together. We had traveled to South Beach, Florida several times, as we loved the surf, sun, culture, and dining. The Delano Hotel became our favorite place to stay because of its ocean-side location, modern and relaxing rooms, beautiful full-service pool, and breath-taking lobby (our favorite part). It only made sense that I take her back to the Delano for a weekend get-a-way and propose.
I had the ring, the desire, and the plan. With the bulky ring-box inside my jean pocket, we finished dinner at Blue Sea, a sushi restaurant inside the Delano. We then walked back through the lobby, which is accented on both sides with tall white curtains gently waving from the large, open doorways letting in the Miami breeze. As it does every evening, the lobby had turned into a beautiful, intimate nightclub with incredible music from the house DJ. This was it! I turned her towards me, took a knee, and now remember nothing else but Gail answering with the word, "yes." I had a speech prepared, but what I actually said felt nothing like how I rehearsed. My nerves somehow pulled my vocabulary back to a 2nd-grade level! Thankfully, Gail was so surprised that all she can remember from my speech was "will you marry me?"
